[Autoimmune processes after long-term low-level exposure to electromagnetic fields (the results of an experiment). Part 3. The effect of the long-term non-thermal RF EMF exposure on complement-fixation antibodies against homologenous tissue].

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the results of the study of immunological effects of long-term low-level exposure of rats to microwaves. Rats were exposed in the far field to 2450 MHz continuous wave fields providing an incident power density at the cages of 500 microW/cm2 for 7 hours daily for a total of 30 days, resulting in a whole-body SAR of 0.16 +/- 0.04 W/kg. Effects of the exposure on immunological parameters in the brain and liver of rats were studied using Complement Fixation Test at low temperature (4 degrees C). Three groups ("EMF-exposure", "sham-exposure" and cage-control) were formed, each consisting of 16 rats. On the 14th day after the 30-day exposure, titers of antibodies against brain tissue were 0.69 +/- 0.08 in the cage-control group, 0.89 +/- 0.05 in the sham-exposed group and 1.19 +/- 0.07 in the EMF-exposed group. The appearance of antibodies against liver antigens was less. The increase in titres of antibodies against brain homogenates in the sham-exposed and EMF-exposed groups could be explained by the stress-reaction of the animals and autoimmunization of organism.